Son struck mother with axe

Latus had an unhappy childhood, the court heard

A schizophrenic man has been found guilty of trying to kill his mother with an axe.

Chester Crown Court heard that John Latus had been visiting his mother Christine Artiss's home when he went outside and picked up the axe in a neighbour's garden.

The 31-year-old farm labourer hid it in his trouser leg before going back into the house in Corwen, Denbighshire and striking his mother twice on the back of the head with the blunt side.

Latus struck her for a third time but the axe head fell off and he ran away.

Unanimous verdict

Mrs Artiss suffered a fractured skull in the attack which took place on 12 May last year.

After a five-hour deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict, rejecting the defence argument that if he had meant to kill his mother, he would have hit her with the bladed side of the axe.

Latus, of Wroxeter, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, is also accused of murdering a friend, 20-year-old Julian Sanders, by decapitating him with an axe in May 2000.

Latus will be sentenced when jurors have returned a verdict on that charge.

Latus has already pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 50-year-old Colin Foulkes, with whom he lived, on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Unhappy upbringing

Mr Foulkes was bludgeoned to death as he lay in his bed, hours before Latus attacked his mother.

Prosecutor Colin Treacy QC said: "John Latus was angry and resentful at what he saw as his unhappy childhood and his unhappy treatment in childhood by his mother and his stepfather.

"When the year 2000 came he was also someone who was angry and resentful towards Colin Foulkes who he accused of having used cruelty and abuse towards him."